Vainganronpa: Trigger Happy Halcyon
by DfinZ
Summary: After attending a typical boarding school for over half his life, Vox is finally contacted by his father to join the army that will one day dethrone the Storm Queen. But instead of training to overthrow the Queen's wicked reign, Vox finds himself trapped in the fold alongside the other recruits in a sadistic killing game. Will he manage to solve the mysteries of the Halcyon Fold?
1. Prologue Part 1- Silence

**Vainganronpa: Trigger Happy Halcyon**

A spotlight shone on the small black ram as it stood at attention next to an ominous button. Arden struggled in his energy-depleted powersuit to loosen the blindfold covering his eyes. He couldn't even manage to move an inch.

The ram swayed from side to side as it watched the old man struggle, finally pushing the button once he'd had enough time to build up despair. A massive cloud of magical energy surrounded the old man- his greatest fear. Magic made Ardan sick to his stomach. The tendrils of light wrapped themselves around him and squeezed so hard that his powersuit gave way and crumbled into several pieces, many of which landed on the floor, suspending the old man in midair.

[ ** _Wavering Whirlpool!- Ardan's Execution: Executed!_** ]

The tendrils of magic engulfed the old man and spun him around and around, flashing different bright colors as they continued to speed up. Ardan's head swam, and as more pieces of his powersuit broke away, they got caught in the vortex and sliced through his skin whenever they made contact. Ardan tried to move his body- any direction would be fine- but he no longer had any control over himself. Magic and machine encircled him and tortured him, burning him, grazing him, bruising him. It was a very painful way to die.

Finally, the light gave one giant flash before fizzling out with a loud *POP!* and everything still in the vortex came to a sudden halt, dropping to the ground before the laughing ram. Among scattered pieces of the man's powersuit was the remains of his body- nothing more than a dismembered skeleton.

The ram's shoulders shivered as it continued to laugh maniacally at the old man.

 _The massive castle towers over the roof of the forest in this peacefully quiet area. It's like the fold stands at the center of the entire world. It's sent out invitations to top soldiers in every field imaginable- the beginnings of a cohesive army brimming with hope. They say that once everything is ready, this army will overturn the tyrannical reign of the queen, and all of its graduates will be greatly compensated in the new government. Set for life. It was built as a beacon of hope for the coming future, which makes the Halcyon Fold a pretty fitting name._

 _There are two things you need to be drafted into this army. One: you need to have combat experience. Two: you need to be the very best at what you do. No ordinary warrior could just join on a whim. The only way in is to be scouted by the army itself._

 _And standing at the gates of the ultimate fortress filled with the ultimate soldiers... was me._

 _Before we go any farther, I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Vox. As you can tell, I'm nothing but a hopelessly average teenage male. Average on the outside, average on the inside. I really have nothing going for me when it comes to combat experience, special abilities, even personality. I mean yeah, I have hobbies and stuff I like to do, but it's not like I'm a psychic or a mutant or whatever. Like, if you asked me what my favorite song was, or my favorite story or game to play... they'd all be whatever's most popular at that particular moment. Even among the average, I'm completely average. So I can't even say I'm your "everyday hero" type. That's just who I am._

 _Anyway, I always figure it's best to introduce yourself right off the bat. But you know, if I have any kind of "strong point," so to speak... I'd say I'm a little more optimistic than other people. I mean, look at me. I'm completely ordinary, but still... here I am, standing in front of the anything but ordinary Halcyon Fold._

 _I still can't believe I'm standing here. I wonder if someone like me can even survive in a place like this. It's got this overwhelming presence... like it's trying to swallow me whole. But it's no wonder would I feel that way. What you have to understand is..._

 _Well, let me just tell you about the "preparation" I did last night to get ready for today._

 _The Halcyon Fold only invites the heroes who are the truly elite in their field. My father, who went through the tedious task of selecting these heroes, sent me a device with the profiles of the drafted soldiers for this year. So, to prepare, I scrolled through some of those files. All I saw proved everything I have just stated about the selected heroes- they were way beyond your average recruit._

 _For example, one of the heroes is the Ultimate Idol. She's the one who's set to take over as the new queen once we win the war. She's travelled all over the world to raise her reputation, both as a mage and the most popular singer this world has ever seen. To make matters worse, she's my bratty twin sister._

 _There's also the Ultimate Sharpshooter. He used to work at a circus with his two revolvers, "Reason" and "Faith." Rumor has it that even while blindfolded with his back to the throwers, he can still shoot bullets straight through the center of flipping coins. As an added bonus, these coins tended to have the Storm Queen's face plastered onto them. The perfect shooter to take her down._

 _Then there's the Ultimate Sniper. Despite being in her late teens, she's managed to perfect her aim with a bow AND make it onto the covers of magazines all over the world. It appears she's into cosplay and swimsuits, and ever since seeing her profile, I've wondered if that's all she wears when she's on a job. It's not like anyone would see her, anyway._

 _Oh, and the profiles made mention of the Ultimate Soldier, too. The scary thing is, I've heard he's taken on opponents ranging from giant crawling monsters to hordes of trained gunsmen. And he does it for fun. Shops everywhere take bets on when he's finally going to get himself killed._

 _On top of that, there's the Ultimate Swordsman, the Ultimate Selketh, the Ultimate Pilot, the Ultimate Mechanic, the Ultimate Mage, and so on._

 _Reading that made me realize how totally powerless I was. They were the world's finest, top to bottom._

 _But still, there was something I couldn't stop thinking about. You see, there was one recruit for which next to no information was provided, and my father isn't the kind of person to do things halfway._

 _With all those ultimate recruits, I'm the only one without any kind of worthwhile talent. But then, what about that one recruit who didn't appear in the profiles? Could they just be an average person like me, without real combat-oriented talent?_

 _The thought was kind of encouraging. I mean, I know I don't have much in the way of personality. But beyond that, there's an even bigger issue... How did such an unbelievably average teenager like me get picked to join this "ultimate" army?_

 _I mean, I guess there *is* a reason..._

 _You just have to take one glance at my father's letter to see why._

[Vox- I know it's been years since I last contacted you after dropping you off in the prep school. Believe me, it was for your own good. Had the Stormguard traced any communications we had between each other, they would have came after you with malice. Your sister's safe enough as an idol that she doesn't have to worry quite yet, but you... you gave me no choice, with your constant interest in girls, music, and parties. I had to give you the ordinary life you'd've otherwise been deprived.

I *am* sending this letter for a reason. Since our parting, I've searched through every village and listened to every tale, seeking out every person who would be right for the job of claiming the Storm throne. I've mailed out letters to each of them, including your sister, and I've ordered them to meet at the Halcyon Fold, where I've secured a place for them to train up and get to know each other. Which means it's time for you to come back to me.

In the envelope, I'm sure you've already found the archive of recruit profiles. Please read through them, as you will serve as the main link between myself and them. You'll find that they're all Ultimates who are the very best in their areas of expertise, thus I have given them titles corresponding to their abilities. Unfortunately, I don't have one prepared for you, but how about the "Ultimate Luck?" Luck that the Stormguard wasn't able to kill you by now. Heh. Just a joke.

Regards- Ardan.]

 _He spelled it out plain as day- I was nothing more than a teenage boy with a little luck. Honestly, I probably would've been better off just declining his offer. But after all these years of separation from him and my sister, I just couldn't say no. But then, actually standing in front of the castle... I started to feel lost, like I didn't belong there. I could feel myself losing my nerve._

 _But still... I can't just stand here in front of the gate forever..._

Stunned in place, murmuring to myself, I looked down at my father's letter clutched in my hand. It said there would be a meeting for all incoming recruits in the main hall at 8 a.m.

 _The meeting still isn't for awhile, but... I should probably just head in. Yeah... Yeah! Let's do this!_

I gathered up all my determination and tried to act like I'd done this a million times before and I took my first step toward the main hall...

 _This *is* where we're supposed to meet, right? I guess I'm the first one here._

 _There's a really elegant clock over in the corner. It says it's 7:10 a.m. The meeting doesn't start until 8 o'clock. So there's still a full 50 minutes left. It makes sense nobody else would be here yet... I was so wound up, I got here way too early. I have plenty of time before the meeting. Just standing around waiting isn't exactly..._

 _I should take a look around. Maybe that'll help me calm down a little. I *am* a recruit here now, so there shouldn't be any problem with me having a look around, right? It'll help me kill some time, if nothing else._

Trying to play it cool, I took my first step into the Halcyon Fold. It was also my first step toward starting a new life in a new world. At least, that's what I was hoping for.

* **VROOOOOOOOOM!** *

Vox: What the...?

But the instant I took that first step forward... My view became warped, twisted. It was like some kind of delusion, melting away and mixing together into something else. Spinning, mixing, melting away, then spinning again...

And the next moment...

Everything went black.

That was how it all began... and how life as I knew it came to an end. At that point, I should have realized... the reason I was brought to the Halcyon fold wasn't because I had "Ultimate Good Luck." It was so I could experience ultimate despair...

 ** _PROLOGUE: Welcome to Despair!_**

 **A/N -** Welcome to the world of Vainganronpa! The upload schedule for this story will typically be weekly, but every so often there may be more than one post in a week. This week, for example, I intend to publish the next part tomorrow, so be sure to come back then for Character Introductions.

Please consider joining my mailing list, as it will contain weekly information about when new parts to this story will come out, as well as small looks at some of my other works-in-progress. To join, please email ichorous .

Come back tomorrow for part two!


	2. Prologue Part 2- Voices

_..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _...Nng?_

Vox: Wh-What...? Where am I?

I woke up with my head resting on top of a hard wooden desk.

 _My body... feels heavy... It's pretty normal for me to zonk off in the middle of some boring class or whatever, but... What was I doing asleep here just now? This isn't a classroom I've ever been in before._

Vox: What the heck is going on?

I tried looking around the classroom.

 _That's the desk I fell asleep on. I can still see a line of drool I must have left there._

Vox: I'll have to clean that up later...

 _Hey, what's that on the desk? An orientation guide...? It's some kind of cheap-looking pamphlet. And there's something handwritten on it..._

[The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this castle will be your entire world.]

Vox: What the hell? Is this someone's idea of a joke?

I set the pamphlet down and shook my head, eager to continue my investigation.

 _There's a monitor... The castle *was* built by my father, so I guess it's not that weird to have techie stuff in here... Something feels... off. I wonder what it is..._

I shook my head and looked away, noticing another clock on the wall in the front.

 _Jeez, I can't believe it's already 8 o'clock. It was just after 7 when I first got here. Has it really been almost an hour since then?_

But right next to the clock...

 _Is that... a surveillance camera? It's a dangerous world we live in. I guess he'd have these to keep weirdos from just wandering in_.

The wall caught my eye next- well, not the wall, but...

Vox: What the heck?

 _In any normal building, that's where a window should be. But it looks as if some kind of metal plate has been bolted over it. And if I were to knock on it..._

*Bang bang*

 _Yup, definitely metal. Thick, too. Very solid. Wait, that's not what matters here. More importantly, why are there metal plates over the windows?_

 _Okay, let's see... so what might've happened is... I got myself so wound up, I passed out in the main hall. And then someone carried me here...? If that's true, it must mean..._

 _This is a classroom inside the Halcyon Fold._

 _But then if *that's* true... That just raises more questions. This is all really strange. I mean, those metal plates covering the windows... It's like it's a prison or something. None of this makes any sense..._

 _I should probably head back to the main hall. It's already past the meeting time. There might be other students there now._

I left the classroom.

Vox: Jeez... This hallway is kind of weird, too.

 _This is getting stranger by the second. I honestly have no idea what's going on... Well, for now I'll just head to the main hall..._

My footsteps echoed throughout the building; my shadow danced along the walls, casting a shadow from the mixture of electrical light and the occasional torch. This castle had way too many rooms.

By the time I got back to the main hall... everyone else was already there.

Male 1: Whoa, hey! Another recruit?

Vox: Huh? then you guys are all...?

Female 1: Yeah... we're all new here. Today's supposed to be our first day of training.

Male 2: So, counting him, that makes fourteen. Seems like a good cut-off point, but I wonder if this is everyone...

Standing before me were the ultimate heroes that had been hand-picked by my father. I looked around at everyone who'd gathered there, taking in their faces one at a time. Maybe I was just imagining it, but I swear I could feel a kind of aura coming from each of them...

Vox: Um... how's it going? My name's Vox. Sorry I'm late. A bunch of stuff happened, and then all of a sudden I was just... asleep.

Male 3: Whoa, you too?

Female 2: Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser...

Male 3: So strange... I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a strange situation!

Vox: Um... what are you talking about? I honestly have no idea what's going on right now.

Male 4: Aye, but there's something more important! Vox! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware that the meeting was supposed to start at 8 a.m. sharp! To be late on your first day is unspeakable! Ain't you ever been in an army before?

Female 3: What's your problem? It's not like he *wanted* to be late. He didn't have any control over it.

Female 1: Everyone just calm down! Listen, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves?

Male 3: Really? You think it's the time for that sort of thing?

Female 3: Hm... It may be a good idea to at least get each other's names before diving into the other problems at hand. I mean, if we don't know at least that much, how are we supposed to talk to each other?

Male 5: Yeah, that's a good point.

I heard a familiar voice.

Celeste: Okay, so let's get introductions out of the way, then we can move onto whatever else. Sound good?

My sister, Celeste. I sighed at her ease with the whole situation.

 _I'm still totally lost, but I think it's best to just focus on getting to know each other for now. So I guess this is as good a chance as I'm gonna get. I already looked through Ardan's briefing, but... I still don't know what kind of people they actually are._

 _Time to find out._

 _I guess I'll start with my sister..._

Celeste: Hi, I'm Celeste! I look forward to getting to know you!

[ **Celeste- Ultimate Idol** ]

Vox: ...Celeste, are you serious?

Celeste cocked her head to one side.

Celeste: What do you mean?

Vox: You *really* don't recognize your own brother?!

Celeste: Huh?! Voxie?! That's you?! Wow, I thought my brother would be way cooler. You're kind of a disappointment.

 _Yeah, there's that bratty princess attitude I know and don't love. Whatever. She *is* still my sister, even if she forgot that for awhile. Seriously, how do you forget your own sibling?!_

Celeste: It's probably because I haven't seen you for half our lives. You look nothing like how you used to- although, I suppose I see a resemblance between you from the past and you from the present *now*.

Vox: Huh?

 _Did she just read my mind?_

Celeste: Twin telepathy, remember?

 _Okay, don't even try to pretend that you're using twin telepathy when you completely forgot we were even siblings!_

Male 4: You two? How much time're ya gonna waste? We've got bigger fish to fry!

Celeste: Oh, um, but...

Male 4: Not right now! Soldier, identify yourself for me!

 _But it seems like Celeste had something she wanted to say... Oh well, we'll get the chance to talk later. If all else fails, she can just send it through "twin telepathy!" Anyway, this buff guy is next. I already know who he is, at least. He's the only one that could fit THAT description. And his earlier comment about me being late..._

SAW: You can call me SAW! I've been at this for years, and never in my life have I received an invitation so *filled* with promise! Let's work together to take down the Storm Queen!

[ **SAW- Ultimate Soldier** ]

 _So I was right. It *is* SAW. According to what I read about him in the profiles... He's the fearless one-man army who lives his life in pursuit of a bigger bounty. He's basically a flawless soldier... He's also known for the battle he won against a city-destroying super-beast. They say he respects protocol above all else, which makes sense, considering he's the Ultimate Soldier._

SAW: Anyway, you said your name was Vox, right? That's a good name, a strong name! You should thank your parents for giving you such an excellent name!

Right... except one of them's dead and the other is running this army...

SAW: And to keep that name from losing it's value, you must devote yourself to training every single day! Wars are worth putting every ounce into them! Right? Right!

 _This guy is... kind of annoying. But moving on, the next one is..._

Ringo: Yo! Name's Ringo! What's up?

[ **Ringo- Ultimate Sharpshooter** ]

 _Ringo, the Ultimate Sharpshooter. So this is the guy who shoots holes through coins for a living... although, something's strange..._

Ringo: Huh? What's wrong?

Vox: N-Nothing, I'm just surprised! I figured with you being the Ultimate Sharpshooter and all...

Ringo: What, were you expecting me to need two arms?

Vox: N-No! I was just expecting more of a, you know, hardcore-badass typical cowboyish type.

 _I mean, that's what went through my head when I read his profile..._

Ringo: What!? Aw man, do I really look that shaggy to you? What a shame.

Vox: What even happened to you? I thought you had two pistols. How do you operate those with one arm?

Ringo frowned.

Ringo: Well, I had two pistols... once. It's a long story, but basically... I lost my reason. All I've got left is faith... But hey, still the best sharpshooter this world's ever seen! At least, I am when I'm sober. Or maybe I'm better when I'm drunk. Or maybe about equal?

The Sharpshooter kept mumbling to himself as Vox stood there awkwardly. Thinking it might be best to leave the man alone, Vox stepped away to introduce himself to some of the other recruits.

 _Who's next?_

Blackfeather: 'Tis I, Blackfeather! But if you wish to call me by my nickname, "The Rosen Prince!" I would not mind.

[ **Blackfeather- Ultimate Swordsman** ]

Blackfeather: By the way, how much do you know about the world of romance and thievery?

Vox: Romance... and thievery?!

 _Somehow, I don't think those two quite mix._

Blackfeather: Well, in that world, I am well known and supremely well regarded as the "Daring Red Flash." I once snuck into a castle simply to leave a sinister rose at the princess' nightstand... and to rob the king of 3000 coins. The event is a thing of legend! The royal guard didn't get it of course, saying I was nothing more than a criminal. How stupid can you be!?

 _3000 coins?! He got away with stealing that much?!_

Blackfeather: The words of such idiots mean naught to me. I am like a stolen embrace- here for a moment before I have all but vanished upon the wind! I am a warrior, serving night and day to destroy all mindless preconceptions about the world of thieves! I'm sure if you were to join me, monsieur Vox, you would comprehend it's greatness immediately. For my work is filled with deepest meaning...

Vox: What... what kind of meaning?

Blackfeather: It's about embracing our greedy desires...

 _I... don't know if he's the right fit for something like this... Anyway, let's move on._

Koshka: Hey! I'm Koshka! You're new, huh? 'Sup?

[ **Koshka- Ultimate One-Woman-Army** ]

 _Koshka... She's been obliterating people on both sides of several conflicts ever since she popped up. If she'd gotten involved against us, our own armies! She is, without a doubt, the Ultimate One-Woman-Army. The combination of her ability, appearance, and, um... catlike behavior... even had some of the boys at my old school talking. She's that well known!_

Koshka: So, uh... what was your name again? Sorry, totally forgot!

Vox: It's Vox.

Koshka: Oh, right! I knew it was something like that!

Vox: No, not "something" like that. It *is* that...

Koshka: Sure, sure, got it! Let me try to commit it to memory... Vox... Vox... Vox...

She just kept repeating my name and moving her finger across the ground like she was writing something.

Vox: ...What are you doing?

Koshka: You don't know? If you can't remember someone's name, you oughta write it out a few times! Hey, by the way... how do you spell Vox?

Vox: Exactly how it sounds! V-O-X!

Koshka: Oh. I thought it was V-A-U-C-K-S or something... Anyway, nice to meet you!

Vox: S-Sure, same here...

 _Well, at least I know she's nice?_

Joule: Eyy, nice to meet you. Name's Joule!

[ **Joule- Ultimate Mechanic** ]

Joule: Heh! It's a little crude to just introduce myself like this. Anyway, hope we get along!

Vox: Same here. Nice to meet you.

Joule: Huh? Maybe it's just my imagination, but... have we met before?

Vox: Um, I don't think so. We just met for the first time. Which is why I said "nice to meet you."

Joule: Right, heh. Good point!

 _Joule is known for all the crazy gadget's he's created using only salvaged materials. He's the Ultimate Mechanic. He's also got this carefree, oblivious attitude, which appeals widely to the female crowd, especially considering how young he is. In fact, looking around, I can say without doubt that he's the youngest one here. And his tinkering skills... heck, he might turn out to be better than my father!_

Joule: Hey, listen up! You better remember me!

Vox: H-Huh?

Joule: I'm going to be pretty famous some day, I just know it! Hehe!

 _... I'm starting to piece together why those girls are so into him._

?: ...

Vox: ...

?: ...

Vox: Um... Can I ask you your name?

?: ...My name is... Sarth.

[ **Sarth- Ultimate ?** ]

Sarth: ...

 _She's sort of reserved, huh? Oh, but you know... her profile wasn't anywhere on my father's files. So then... I wonder what her abilities would be._

Vox: Um, so... why exactly were you enlisted into this army?

Sarth: What's that supposed to mean?

Vox: Getting an invitation here makes you some kind of "ultimate" something, right? Soooooo...

Sarth: ...What about you? It's not polite to ask me for details about myself without giving me some of your own, now is it?

 _Crap. I didn't expect this..._

Vox: Well... if that's how it is, I suppose I'm better off not knowing.

Sarth: I suppose so.

Vox: ...

Sarth: ...

 _Her face is like an iron mask. If she doesn't want to tell me anything, no point in asking. Which means I move on._

Kestrel: Hi. I'm Kestrel. Charmed, I'm sure...

 _Huh? What's with that pessimistic attitude? I just wanted to introduce myself!_

[ **Kestrel- Ultimate Sniper** ]

 _Although, I suppose I could understand it. She's a sniper AND a model- sort of a sexy badass. I'm sure she's met quite a few creeps who've left their impressions..._

Kestrel sighed.

Kestrel: Are you just going to stand there and gawk? Well, I guess that's better than some of the reactions I've gotten.

 _So I was right._

Vox: No, don't worry. I won't be a creep. I was just wondering why you were being so thorny.

Kestrel: Well, now you know. Conversation over.

 _W-Whoa! I didn't expect her to be so brash in person! All that smiling for those photo ops... was that all fake? Huh... At any rate, it looks like she doesn't want me around, so I'd better scram!_

Skye: Name's Skye. Nice to meet ya.

[ **Skye- Ultimate Pilot** ]

 _Skye, huh? Which means... She's the current record holder for the fighter jet world curcuit. She's earned respect, even awe, from pilots all around the world. She's the Ultimate Pilot..._

Vox: Umm... Nice to meet you too.

Skye: Word.

 _So cool and compressed. I wonder what she thinks about when she flies..._

The conversation didn't seem to be making much headway, so Vox backed away and turned to someone new.

Lance: I am Gythian Lance.

[ **Lance- Ultimate Protector** ]

 _Whoa, that armor must weigh a ton! You can barely see his head peeking out from the very top! From what I remember, he's known for being incredibly durable, like the Ultimate Human Meatshield. Better not say that aloud, though. Something about him just screams regal._

Lance: Hey, you.

Vox: Huh? Y-Yes!?

I snapped to attention without even realizing. Then he started to scan over every inch of my body.

Vox: Um... what are you...?

Lance: Your build is just under that of the average teenage boy... Bwahaha! What a shame! You're not at all fit to act as my sparring partner.

 _H-Huh? I'm *under* average?!_

Flustered, I turned my back on the man as he continued to laugh heartily.

 _You know, I didn't think it was THAT funny..._

I approached the one with wings and a tail next.

Adagio: Name's Adagio.

[ **Adagio- Ultimate Affluence** ]

Vox: Hi, uh... nice to meet you.

Adagio: ...

 _That's the most half-baked introduction I've ever heard. But there isn't really anything I can do about it. Even among the ultimate heroes, this one is special. Adagio... Half human, half Selketh. Some people hail him as if he's some sort of god, giving him lavish presents and piles of gold. He's here as a financial benefactor to my father's army, and even that's mostly just to get his name out there and spread word of his religion. That's everything I've learned about him from my father's files, anyway._

Adagio: I've introduced myself, right? How much longer do you intend to stand there? Go away. Your figure tires my eyes.

 _Ouch. That's even brattier than my sister. I wonder if he even knows what this whole ordeal is about._

Frustrated, I backed away and turned to the next person to meet and greet.

Taka: I'm Taka- Taks for short! Relax, won't ya? I know I'm going to.

[ **Taka- Ultimate Assassin** ]

 _Taka, also known as "Phantom Force" in the mercenary community. The stone-cold Ultimate Assassin... or so I thought he'd be. Honestly, he's so laid back it's almost scary to think he makes his living killing people._

Taka: Hey, did you hear? Apparently we're supposed to be forming an army or something. Isn't that cool? I've never been part of a team before!

Vox: Yeah, can't wait to work with you!

Taka: ...Oh. Don't get me wrong, I'm stoked for training and all, but what I do... It's meant to be done alone.

Vox: Oh. Right.

Taka: But don't take it too hard, okay? I get the feeling you and I will be REALLY good friends!

Vox: I sure hope so!

 _Well, he's nice. Probably the nicest one I've met all day!_

Out of nowhere, Taka started laughing maniacally.

Taka: Gyahaha! Gyahahahahahaha!

Vox: Huh? Is something wrong?

Taka wiped a tear from his eye.

Taka: Oh, nothing. I was just remembering the last friend I had... A shame I was ordered to kill him, huh?

 _Wh-What?!_

Taka: Gyahaha! I still can't get the look on his face when he died out of my mind! It's so funny!

 _Forget nice! This guy is a complete psycho!_

Taka: Huh? Vox-vox? Where'd you go?

 _Phew. I think I managed to slip away unnoticed. Now all that's left is..._

Lyra: Me. Pleased to meet you, I am Lyra.

[ **Lyra- Ultimate Mage** ]

The Mage had her arm outstretched to shake Vox's hand.

 _H-Huh?_

Lyra: Oh dear, didn't mean to frighten you. I just thought, since I was the only person left for you to meet... Anyway, since that's all, I believe we can reconvene and focus on some of the larger issues now.

Vox: R-Right.

 _Lyra. She's supposed to be one of the best magic users of our era, able to cast healing wards and restrictive barriers. I've even heard she can teleport! For us to have such a skilled mage on our side... I bet Celeste is somewhat jealous, huh?_

Lyra: I look forward to getting to know you better.

Vox: Y-Yeah, me too.

 _And with that, all the introductions are done. Hmm... Even though they're all "ultimate," they each have their own individual set of quirks._

Adagio: Okay, time to get down to business. This is no time to be standing around making friends like a bunch of dimwitted teenagers.

SAW: Ain't that right!

Vox: Didn't someone mention something about other problems? What exactly were those?

Celeste: Well, you see... Voxie, you said a bunch of stuff happened and then you were just asleep, right? See... the same is true for all of us.

Vox: Wait, really?!

Ringo: Just after each of us wandered into the main hall, we knocked out cold! And when we woke up, we were lying around the castle! That's what happened to you, right?

Vox: What? But that's so weird! That all of us would be knocked out just like that...

Skye: Exactly. It's got us all freaking out.

SAW: And that ain't the only thing! Ya saw how all the windows in the rooms and hallways were, right? Instead of good 'ol glass windows, they're all covered by giant metal plates! What's that all about?!

Kestrel: Plus, all my stuff's missing! Even my trusty bow...

Joule: Yeah, you're right! I haven't seen my mech anywhere, either!

SAW: And then there's the main hall right here! The front exit is entirely sealed off by some sort of contraption! I swear that wasn't there when I arrived!

Taka: What the heck?! What's it doing there?!

Kestrel: Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know... crime or something?

Blackfeather: This is far too unartistic to be considered a *true* crime!

Lyra: You think maybe someone sedated us and hauled us off and we're not actually at the Fold?

Ringo: Come on, don't think like that. Cheer up! I bet this is just some sort of recruit formality. Yeah, I'm sure that's it! So I'm just gonna take it easy for awhile.

Joule: Oh, so this is all just a surprise!

Taka: Well, if that's all it is, it's bedtime for me! I was out all last night, so I could use a bit of sleep!

I could feel the apprehension in the room begin to evaporate... But then, it began.

* **Ping pang, ting tang!** *

A muffled static sound played as the monitors around the room fizzled to life. A silhouette of some sort faded into view over the fizzling screen.

{ **Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the Fold's broadcast system!** }

 _Huh? But that's not my dad..._

The voice was high-pitched, almost like that of one of those plant-humanoid species-thingies. I couldn't really remember what to call those.

{ **Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then...!** }

It seemed totally out of place. It was so playful, so completely unconcerned... I couldn't help but feel a deep, unnerving dread at the sound of it. It was like hearing someone laugh at the scene of an accident.

{ **Ahh, to all new recruits! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at... right now! Please make your way to the training gym at your earliest convenience. That's all. I'll be waiting!** }

Kestrel: ...What. The. Hell was that just now?

Adagio: Well then, I shall excuse myself...

Kestrel: Hey! Don't just take off like that!

Ringo: See? It's like I said. It's just a formality! Man, thank god it's nothing serious. Alright, I should head out, too. Wonder what they've got planned for us now...

Taka: Damn, I was so looking forward to that nap. Oh well. Guess I can sleep tomorrow!

Koshka: Ooh! Is that a tail! Takaaaaa! Let me follow you!

Lyra: If that is all, I'll meet the rest of you there.

SAW: Alright! Let's do this!

Everyone took off for the training gym, but I was frozen where I stood. I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was desperately wrong... It seemed I wasn't the only one.

Celeste: This... this doesn't seem right.

Kestrel: Yeah, that announcement was very off-beat.

Sarth: Maybe, but just standing here could be a bad idea. Besides, aren't you guys the least bit curious to find out what's up around here?

Lance: Two steps forward, one to the side. Nothing ever gets accomplished by standing still.

 _I-I guess he's right. But still... I'm kinda- no, *really* nervous. But there's no choice. We must go._

Vox: They said to go to the training gym, right? Then we'd better get going.

 **A/N** **:** One more piece to the prologue will be posted tomorrow. After that, however, this series will continue as weekly updates. Enjoy!


	3. Prologue Part 3- Despair

My footsteps echoed down the corridor once again as I followed the sound of Koshka's bell-tail to where the training gym was supposedly located. The doors opened easily enough, but what lay beyond them was another room before the training grounds.

Celeste: Hey, why isn't anyone here? Walking through the halls, I didn't see a single person...

Come to think of it, that is strange. Wouldn't Ardan have brought in some sort of personnel to oversee the army? Or are they all in the training gym?

Kestrel: Isn't that, like, *really* bad?

SAW: I'm sure it's all a good scare! Those metal plates'll come right down in a tad!

Lance: All we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Time for rolling!

Taka: Well, we aren't "ultimate" fighters for nothing! There's nothing to worry about!

The Assassin pushed his way through the next set of doors, prompting the remaining recruits to follow after him.

Kestrel: Jeez, and I just got here, too... Slow down, will you?!

Still filled with uneasy dread, I did what the announcement said and entered the training gym. And I saw what was waiting for us there...

Vox: Oh. It really does look like an entrance ceremony.

Ringo: Told ya! It's totally just a formality!

Ringo was right. In a way, that just emphasized how unique all of *us* were.

?: Hey there, hello! Is everyone present? Good! Then we can begin!

I, along with the other recruits, stared at the stage near the wall in the very back of the room, unsure of what to expect. I was hoping it would be my father, but expecting... that was a completely different story.

But instead of my father, what I got was...

A monochromatic ram which leapt out from under the stage and landed directly on the podium.

Joule: Huh? A... a stuffed animal?

?: I'm not a stuffed animal! I... am... Corpus! And I am this army's top marshal!

It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. Right before my eyes, it was... What I was seeing was... It was... completely inconcievable.

Corpus: Nice to meet you all!

Such a bright voice and carefree attitude was completely out of place, especially when paired with the dark, scary expression on the ram's face. All the anxiety from before quickly became complete fear.

Blackfeather: Wh-? What?! That stuffed animal can talk!

SAW: Pipe down, mate! I'm sure there's just a speaker inside it!

Corpus: I told you already, I'm no stuffed animal... I'm Corpus! And I'm your top marshal!

Blackfeather: What?! It moved!

Ringo: Relax, man, it's probably just remote controlled. Some sort of toy robot.

Corpus: How dare you compare me to a simple toy! My system of control is so complex, not even the Ultimate Mechanic would be able to understand it!

Joule: Huh?! Not even me?!

Corpus: Ah, but maybe I shouldn't have said that. It carries certain... "ram"ifications!

Lyra: "Ram"ifications? Really? That wasn't funny...

Corpus: Now then, moving on! We really must get started already...

Kestrel: Giving up already? No other stupid ram puns?

Corpus: Quiet down now, quiet down. Alrighty then...!

Lance: There goes the gag.

Corpus: Everyone, stand at attention and salute! And... good morning!

SAW: Morning marshal!

Ringo: You don't have to respond...

Corpus: Well then, let us begin with a memorable induction! First, let's talk a bit about what your lives here will be like. Now, make no mistake- you few recruits, so full of talent, represent the hope of the world. And to protect such amazing hope... you will all live a communal life together within the confines of this castle!

Huh? Within the confines of this castle? Then, was Ardan's plan...

Corpus: Everyone will live in peace together and submit to the rules and regulations of the Fold! As for the deadline for this lifestyle... well, there is none! In other words, you will all live here until the day you die! Such is the new life you've been given!

Ringo: Wh-What did he just say? Until the day we d-die...?

Corpus: Oh, but don't you worry. We have quite the amazing budget, so you won't lack for all the necessary sustenances!

Adagio: You fool! That budget is mine!

Celeste: That's the least of our worries right now!

Kestrel: Yeah, what the hell? He's saying I have to live here forever? He's screwing with us, right?

Corpus: I am not screwing with you! I would never lie! Of that, you can be 100% sure! And, just so you know, you're completely cut off from the outside world. There's no need to worry about the dangerous world beyond these walls ever again!

 _So that *is* what he's up to. Forget taking on the Storm Queen, let's just cower in the mighty fortress._

SAW: So then, those metal plates all over the school...

Vox: They're there to keep us trapped in here.

Corpus: Exactly! No matter how much you may yell and scream for help... it will not come. With all of that in mind, feel free to live your lives here with no worries at all!

Ringo: Come on, what the hell is this? I don't care if the army or whoever else is behind this all, it's just a really bad joke.

Adagio: Yes, do cut this out. It was never funny to begin with.

Corpus: You keep assuming this is a lie or a joke! Such skeptics! But I guess you can't help it. You've all had to doubt those around you in order to survive. Well, most of you anyway. Regardless, you'll have plenty of time to find out whether what I said is true.

Lyra: Having to live here forever would be... a very large issue.

Corpus: Huh? Is something wrong? You all decided to come to the Fold by yourselves, right? And now, in the middle of the induction, you've already decided you want out? Oh, but you know... There *is* one way for you to leave the Fold.

Ringo: R-Really...?

Corpus: As the top marshal, I've created a special rule for anyone who'd like to leave! I call it... the graduation rule! Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule.

 _I see. So this is just a test._

Corpus: As I mentioned, in order to live peacefully here, we rely on everyone's cooperation. If someone were to disrupt that peace, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the Fold. That, my recruits, is the graduation rule!

Adagio: What do you mean by "disrupt the harmony"?

Corpus: Kahahaha... Well, you know... Say one of you were to murder another.

Vox: M-Murder?!

Corpus: Shanking, choking, smashing, bashing, boiling, burning, beating, how it's done doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all, okay?

A chill shot down my spine.

 _Is-Is this really my father's will? No! There's no way it could be! Something's wrong here! Something's REALLY wrong here!_

"You must kill someone if you want to leave." As soon as I heard those words, my blood went cold.

Corpus: Kahaha. I bet *that* got your brains up and at 'em! Like I said, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know... Taking that hope and seeing it fade away creates a darkened shadow of despair. And I find that incredibly exciting!

Ringo: What the hell are you talking about?! To kill each other is... It's...!

Corpus: To kill each other is to kill each other. I'm sure there's a pen somewhere around here if you need me to spell it out for you.

Skye: We know what it means, that's not the problem! Why do we have to kill each other?!

Blackfeather: Yeah! A thief does not slay! Let us return home at once!

Corpus: You guys just don't get it, do you? "Let us go, let us go!" You keep using the same lines over and over...! Listen, from now on the Fold is your home, your life, your world. Got it? So you can kill as much as you wanna kill! Go ahead, go on a killing spree!

Adagio: Alright, come on. You've had your fun, now quit it.

Corpus: Hm?

Adagio: You've had your fun. Now if you don't release me at once, I'll become quite angry.

Corpus: Huh?

Adagio: Okay, I've had enough!

Stretching his wings out wide, Adagio placed himself in front of Corpus, his voice rumbling like thunder.

Adagio: Listen up, nitwit! You've gone way too far! I hope my assets were not wasted on all these useless props!

Corpus: Useless? You mean like your tail?

Adagio: Grrrrrrr-!

Adagio roared out and there was a sudden * **BOOM!** * It was the sound of his wings as he flapped and launched himself into the air. He spun around, fast and true as a bullet. He'd made up his mind. Runes started appearing on the training gym floor as the semi-Selketh continued his ritual. Corpus only looked on in anticipation, until a beeping sound started emitting itself from its body.

Corpus: Violence against the marshal is in violation of Fold regulations! As such, you must be punished!

The beeping started to speed up, along with Vox's heartbeat.

Sarth: Look out! Get it away from you!

The semi-Selketh couldn't stop his ritual, but without a word, Lance rolled into the fray and knocked the small ram far away. And... as soon as he did... the ram exploded into thousands of mechanical pieces and a ball of fluff.

Adagio: Huh? Did it just explode?! My fortune better not have been spent on that!

There was a painful ringing in my ears, and I could smel gunpowder. Explosions might happen all the time in wars or whatever, but I hadn't ever been part of a war before... I'd never seen anything like it.

Joule: But hey, at least it means the stuffed animal was destroyed, right?

Corpus: I told you, I'm not a stuffed animal! I'm Corpus!

Ringo: Wait, there's another one?!

Adagio: My stores of treasure... And not just that... did you really just try to end my life?

Corpus: Of course! I was serious about trying to kill you. You did just violate one of the regulations, after all. You get a warning this once, but from now on... anybody who violates my rules won't get of with just a little thrashing.

Kestrel: Hey... so does this mean there's a bunch more of you just hidden somewhere?

Corpus: All over the building! Plus, don't forget about the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. Any rule breakers suffer the consequences! And I won't be so merciful next time!

Skye: That's not even punishment. That's just... wrong...

Corpus: Lastly, to commemorate your recruitment, I have a gift for you all! Ta-da! It's an Electronic Identification Card! Pretty cool, huh? This Card is vital to your life inside the Fold, so don't lose it! When it start up, it should have your name on it. Make sure you take the right one! Anyway, it's completely waterproof and incredibly force resistant! It contains all of my regulations, so be sure to read through them when you get the time! Okay, well... that's all for the entrance ceremony! See ya!

And with that, it just disappeared, leaving all of us stunned.

SAW: Well then, mates... What exactly... was that?

Ringo: How...? Why...? I don't get this at all...

 _We have to l-live here forever...? Or... k-kill?_

Sarth: Hold on a second. We need to calm down. First, we should make a summary of what we just heard. Based on what Corpus said, we have two basic choices. First, we could all stay here, leading to a peaceful life together until the day we die. Second-

Taka: If we want to get out of here alive, we kill someone. Right?

Celeste: But... killing someone... That's...

Blackfeather: Utterly ridiculous! A thief does not slay! It would go against my honor!

Adagio: All these ridiculous things... This has to be fake!

Lyra: Right now it doesn't really matter if it's real or fake. All that matters is... whether anybody here believes all of it.

To that, nobody had a response... In silence, I looked around at the other recruits. They all stared at one another, gauging each other's thoughts. The hostile atmosphere saturated the air. And that's when it hit me... the true terror in Corpus' rules...

"You must kill someone if you want to leave."

Those words had planted vicious thoughts within each of us. None of us could trust each other, being forced to wonder whether someone was going to betray us.

And that was how my new life began... This army, which had come from my father and raised my hopes so high... It was *not* an army of hope. It was... an army of despair.

~ **PROLOGUE: Welcome to Despair!** ~

-END-

 **A/N** **-** Chapter 1 will begin updates on Monday of next week. If it's already out by the time you've gotten this far, congrats! You don't need to wait! Anyway, bye until then!


	4. Chapter 1 Part 1- Dazed

" **You must kill someone if you want to leave.** "

My mind froze and my breath caught in my throat as I thought about that... I could feel a paralyzing fear slowly crawling throughout my body, overloading every last nerve. It took everything I had just to breathe in and out.

 ** _~CHAPTER 01: To Live; Everyday Life~_**

But for as heavy as the air felt... all it took to pierce was her sharp words.

Sarth: So? What're you going to do now?

Sarth's words snapped everyone out of a stunned silence.

 _What're we going to do now...?_

Sarth: Just stand around glaring at each other?

Lance: That's absolutely correct! Even in the toughest of situations, the smartest thing to do is to move forward! To forget such a simple fact... what a disgrace upon my Gythian ancestors!

Koshka: Okay, but... what are we moving forward to, exactly?

Taka: Idiot! To look for a way out, duh!

Kestrel: And we totally need to find whoever was controlling that stupid ram and beat the hell out of 'em.

Lyra: But before we get to that, maybe we ought to take a look at the Electronic IDs. It's probably best to check out the Fold's regulations Corpus mentioned before doing anything else.

Lance: True. If we stumble around with no clue what the rules are, something like that might happen again...

Adagio: Tch...

Kestrel: Fine. Then let's snap to it already.

*De-de-dwoo!*

[ ** _Vox_** ]

After turning on the ElectroID, the first thing that appeared was my name. So just like Corpus said, the owner's name showed up front and center. From the main menu that popped up, I selected the _Fold Regulations_ icon.

[ ** _Rule 1- Recruits may only explore the castle. Attempting to leave the fold is a waste of time._**

 ** _Rule 2- "Nighttime" is from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Some areas are off limits at night, so please be careful. Furthermore, water is turned off during nighttime._**

 ** _Rule 3- Purposefully sleeping anywhere other than the barracks will be seen as sleeping on duty and be punished accordingly._**

 ** _Rule 4- With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore the Halcyon Fold at your discretion._**

 ** _Rule 5- Violence against the marshal, Corpus, is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras._**

 ** _Rule 6- Anyone who kills a fellow recruit and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they've been discovered._**

 ** _Rule 7- Additional rules may be added if deemed necessary._** ]

Feeling a slight dizziness, I looked up from the screen. As I looked around, I saw the same stormy expression on everyone's faces.

Adagio: What a joke. Rules? Regulations? Never has anyone been so audacious as to even *think* they could restrict *me!*

Sarth: Well then, why not wander around the Fold without a care in the world and see what happens? Personally, I *am* curious to figure out what happens when someone breaks one of the rules.

Blackfeather: But if he got punished like what we saw before, I don't think there'd be a respawn waiting for him.

Adagio: ...Tch. Well, I suppose I can't afford to die for such a trivial reason.

Sarth: Oh, so you *are* going to follow the rules. What a shame.

Adagio: Huh? Oh, well... yeah, I guess you're right.

Celeste: Hey, um... I have a question. Rule number six- what does everyone think that means?

[ ** _Rule 6- Anyone who kills a fellow recruit and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they've been discovered._** ]

Vox: You're talking about the second half, right? Where it says "unless they've been discovered"? I was wondering about that myself.

Taka: It's saying that if you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out it was you.

Celeste: But why...? Why do we have to do that?!

Taka: I don't see any reason to worry. Just follow the rules as they've been explained to us.

Koshka: Well for now, let's forget that silly talk about murdering or whatever! I wanna explore!

SAW: True. We need to find out exactly where we are. Is there any way out? And what about food and supplies? There are tons of questions that need answering!

Ringo: Got that right! Okay, let's all start looking around!

Adagio: ...I'll be going alone.

Kestrel: What?! Why? That's a pretty stupid idea, don't you think?

Adagio: Someone here might have already started thinking about murdering one of us. Are you implying we should stay close to them and make it that much easier?

Celeste: Wait a second- that would never-!

Adagio: Don't even bother claiming it couldn't happen. You can't deny the possibility. That's why you all seized up with fear when that graduation rule was clarified. Or am I wrong?

Celeste: B-But...

Adagio: I'm simply acting in accordance with what is best for me.

Lyra: Wait up! There's no way I'd just let you run off and do whatever you'd like!

Adagio: Out of my way, woman.

Lyra: You will not leave!

Vox: Stop it! We shouldn't fight!

But it was too late. Lyra had already started casting a spell. Vox dove into the way to intercept the beams of magic.

*SHI-FWOOM!*

She cast her spell... and I collapsed in a heap. I didn't even see the darkness coming. It was just suddenly right there in my face. One second I was standing there, the next I was lying on the ground. Now that I think about it, maybe I'd kinda forgotten... that I was miles below any of the people I was trapped here with.

That was my last thought as my consciousness started to fade... before it finally cut off completely.

And when I finally opened my eyes again, what I saw was...

Vox: Ng... gah... Huh? Wh-Where am I?

As if it was now part of the norm, I woke up in yet another room I'd never seen before.

Vox: Okay, so... Where am I now?

The first thing I noticed was the item on an upright table.

 _This must be the key to the room... My name's written on the keychain. That means this is mine, right? I'll keep it on me for now._

A piece of paper hung on the wall. It said:

[ _Announcement from Marshal Corpus: Each room's lock has been designed to completely protect against tampering or lock-picking. Remaking an individual room key is quite difficult, so please try not to lose yours. Your room comes furnished with a shower, but please note that_ _water is turned off at night_ _. Also, the bathrooms in the girls' rooms have a lock of their own. Finally, we've prepared a small gift for each of you. For the girls, a_ _potions kit_ _. And for the boys, a_ _scout trap kit_ _. The potions kit includes an instructional guide for poisons. One sip should do the job, girls! For the boys, we believe that one explosion from any of the traps should be ample. Don't think! Just feel! And let's all enjoy ourselves!_ ]

Vox: ...

I crumpled up the sheet of paper and threw it in the trash. While I was looking down, my eyes caught onto something else.

 _It's some kind of lint roller. I guess we're supposed to clean up after ourselves...?_

Next was a door on the inside of the room.

Vox: This would appear to be... the bathroom.

*Rattle rattle*

Vox: Huh? It's not opening. I guess it's locked.

With that, my attention focused on another monitor in the room. Not only that, a camera was planted in the room as well. And iron plates covered where windows should've been yet again. At least there wasn't anything strange with the bed. On the nightstand, there was a notepad.

 _I guess that he must have given one to each of us..._

Below the notepad was a drawer. And in it was... a scout trap kit. In it were three typical scout traps, which a user would activate and toss to a location where it would sit until exploding when someone came near. There were also two remote-controlled scout traps which functioned exactly as they were names.

 _These must be brand new. They're all packaged together. I don't need these things right now, so I'll just leave them here. Anyway, I think I'm starting to understand. This room must be... one of the barracks. Someone must have carried me here after I fell unconscious. So that answers that question. The next one would be... What's everyone else doing right now? Only one way to find out._

I rushed out of the room to meet up with the others. But there was someone waiting for me there.

*WHAM!*

Celeste: Agh!

Vox: Oh-! ...Celeste?!

My sister sat on the floor, clutching at her forehead.

Vox: Sorry! Are you okay?

Celeste: I- don't worry about me. How are you?

She stood up slowly and brushed off her dress.

Vox: You're not hurt, are you, Celeste?

Celeste: Don't make me sound weak, Voxie! I'm completely fine. But... are *you* okay? You know, from when Lyra dazed you?

 _That's true... I got knocked out right there in front of everyone... and by a girl. How uncool_.

Celeste: Voxie...?

Vox: Oh, uh, I'm fine! Nothing wrong here!

Celeste: Okay, that's good. I don't know any healing magic, so...

Vox: Thanks anyway. By the way, what are you doing here?

Celeste: Actually, I came to get you. Since you're feeling better, you should probably come to the mess hall.

Vox: The mess hall...?

Celeste: After you got knocked out, everyone split up to do their own thing. Kestrel suggested it would be more effective to split up and investigate. So we agreed to reconvene at a later time to share our findings.

Vox: Huh? Does that mean it's almost time to get back together? If that's what's going on, I should be there, huh?

Celeste: Good. I'll go on ahead and meet you there, then.

Unsure of why she bolted ahead, I followed her footsteps down the corridor to a large, open area which had several sets of doors. Ignoring the other areas for the time being, I strode through the doors marked "mess hall".`

Celeste: It looks pretty clean, so that's good. Though I guess that's not exactly a top priority, with us being imprisoned here and all.

Vox: Yeah, that's true...

Nobody was there waiting for us.

 _We don't really have much choice. I guess we should just wait here for now._

Celeste: Hm... Okay, let's wait here.

Vox: Huh?! You heard that?

Celeste: Twin telepathy, remember? Haha, I'm just kidding. I guess I just have amazing intuition.

 _Is it really just intuition...? Anyway, time to check the clock. I'd really like to know what time it is right now._

Vox: Wh-What?! 7 'o clock?! At night?!

Celeste: You've been unconscious for awhile...

 _I see... with all the windows covered, I've lost all sense of time. If I'm stuck here for too long... I might just go crazy..._

Celeste: I can't believe no one's here yet. They'd better hurry and start showing up.

Almost like he'd timed it, Taka threw open the dining hall doors right as Celeste said that.

Taka: Ah, Vox-vox! Celeste-leste! So you two got here first, huh? Too bad... I was sure I'd beat everyone here. Gyahaha! Well, next time I'll get here first, even if you don't see me!

Celeste: That's a bit much, don't you think?

Soon after that... everyone else strolled in one by one. After a few minutes, everyone had gathered in the mess hall.

SAW: Okay! 'T looks like we're all 'ere! Time to start the meeting! Let's all go around and share what we found out during our investigations! The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner we get out of here!

Kestrel: Wait a sec!

SAW: Eh? Something wrong?

Kestrel: What about, uh... what's her name? You know, the dark and mysterious girl. Uhh... oh yeah, Sarth!

SAW: What about her?

Kestrel: She's not here.

SAW: R-Really?!

I took another look around the mess hall. Sure enough, she was nowhere to be seen.

Koshka: Where'd Sarthy go? Has anyone seen her?

Everyone just shook their heads.

Joule: Wait, so *nobody's* seen her?!

 _Why hasn't Sarth shown up yet? Could it be because...?_

" **Shanking, choking, smashing, bashing, boiling, burning, beating, how it's done doesn't matter.** **You must kill someone if you want to leave.** **It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all, okay?** "

 _Is it possible? Was she really...? No, I must be overthinking things._

SAW: To be late for the first rookie meeting... she's almost as bad as Vox!

Vox: H-Hey!

Kestrel: You're being a real jackass right now, you know that?

SAW: Whaddaya expect? Punctuality is important!

Lance: Anyway, let's just begin the meeting without her.

Celeste: Vox... Actually, first of all... I've said enough. Let's listen to what everyone else needs to say.

Vox: Okay.

Celeste: Okay, so since you don't know, let me lay out what's been going on. Everyone split up to check out different parts of the building, but... **Adagio** and **Taka** went off on their own, and so did Sarth.

Adagio: I wanted to find some clue as to who's responsible for imprisoning us here... Lo and behold, there was naught to be found. That's all from me...

Taka: Really? That's it?

Adagio: If I'd found anything else out, I'd have more to say. But I didn't. So I don't.

Taka: Right, got it... Anyway, I was looking about the barracks. There, I made an incredible discovery! I found that there was exactly one room for each person!

Skye: Well yeah, I figured that out before anything else...

Kestrel: The doors already had nameplates on them, so I guess the rooms have already been assigned.

Lance: And each room key had a keychain with the owner's name etched onto it.

Which confirms that the room I was in earlier is, in fact, my room.

Kestrel: And Joule and I found out that all the rooms are totally soundproof.

Joule: Your next-door neighbor could scream their lungs out and you wouldn't hear a thing!

Lyra: Well, each room also had a private bathroom, which could also lock.

Kestrel: But it looked like there were only locks on the bathrooms in the girls' dorms.

Huh? But wasn't mine locked too? That's odd. I guess I'll double-check that later.

Ringo: Okay, so they got a bunch of rooms ready for us. They think we'll be here awhile.

SAW: Well, better to have than have not! At least we don't have to worry about surviving like wild animals!

Blackfeather: That can't be all you have to report, can it, Monsiuer Taka?

Taka: ...That's all I've got! Let's move on to whoever's next!

Celeste: Anyway, it looks like **Ringo, Kestrel, and Joule** all grouped up together.

Kestrel: We went all up and down the school, double-checking windows in all the hallways and classes. We wanted to see if we could get any of those metal plates to come off. And what happened was...

Ringo: Nothing. Not a damn thing. We couldn't so much as budge a single one.

Joule: There's just no way to escape anywhere! This castle really *has* been totally cut off.

Kestrel: This sucks. It *really* sucks. What the hell are we gonna do?!

Ringo: Hey, relax! You're starting to make *me* nervous!

Celeste: **Skye, Lance, and Lyra** formed another group.

Skye: We thought maybe we could find a way to communicate with the outside, so we searched all over. But... we didn't find a thing. Sorry...

Lyra: I went back to the main hall, thinking maybe we could do something about that giant metal gate. But whenever I tried to phase through it, I couldn't. I activated my talismans, bulwarks, and nothing... It seems everywhere outside of the training gym is a magic nullification zone... and even in the gym, the walls soak magic right up! It was like the ultimate magical defense!

Lance: And even with all my might, I could not so much as make a dent. If we're going to get out of here, it won't be through there. I guess I'll move on to what happened next... It has nothing to do with communicating with the outside world, but it's still worth worrying about. In both the castle and barracks areas, there was a set of stairs leading up to another floor.

Skye: But there were gates there, and we couldn't find any way to open them, so we couldn't check it out.

Lance: In other words, at this point we are only allowed to explore the first floor. We can assume there's something above the second floor, as well. If that's the case, perhaps there shall be a way out.

Celeste: Lastly, **SAW, Blackfeather, and Koshka** were left over, so they joined up.

SAW: If I'm being honest, I can't say we really did anything together. Rather, we did *nothing* together. We spent the entire time in the training gym.

Vox: What? But didn't you call this meeting to order?!

SAW: Maybe. But, I'm not exactly the type to go running around and play recon. I'm a soldier, not a scout!

Kestrel: What the hell were you thinking, just sitting around the training gym this whole time?

Blackfeather: Well, it's not like any of you invited me along! Nobody said "hey, come with us!"

Koshka: And I was taking a nap!

Blackfeather: Corpus decided to give her an exception to the sleeping rule, since she think's she's a cat and all.

Koshka: Nya!

SAW: I was busy doing one-handed push-ups! Being stranded in a castle is no excuse for skipping your hourly workout routine!

Kestrel: Seriously, you guys are beyond pathetic.

Blackfeather: Hmph. Forget it. As if I'd even want to explore with a wilted flower such as yourself.

Kestrel: Wilted...?

Blackfeather: There's no shame in what you do. Men don't even have to work. It's sickening.

Kestrel: I don't even know how to react to that. How can you say something so rude to someone you just met?

Ringo: Alright, everyone, let's all calm down, okay? Stressing out is bad for your skin, y'know?

Celeste: So that's all they have to say, huh? That just leaves me... I went and had a look around the mess hall... There was this fridge in the back of the kitchen, and it was chock full of all sorts of stuff! Which means we don't have to worry about food, at least.

SAW: Maybe for now. But even with all that, there are fourteen of us. How long would the food last?

Celeste: I don't think we have to worry about it. All the food gets restocked automatically each day. At least, that's what Corpus said...

Kestrel: You saw him?!

Celeste: Yeah, he came out of nowhere while I was checking the fridge, told me that, then disappeared again. He was so fast, I almost couldn't believe he's remote controlled!

Joule: A weaponized toy that can appear and disappear at will! Even I can't figure out how it works!

Skye: But was everything okay? He didn't try to like, eat you or anything?

Blackfeather: E-Eat her? What type of "eating" are we talking about, exactly?

Skye: E-Eww! Gross!

Kestrel: Hey! Stop screwing around-!

Kestrel's voice was cut off.

Sarth: You're spending an awful lot of time just yelling at each other. Do you really think you can afford to do so? Have none of you accepted the reality of the situation?

SAW: Sarth! Where have you been?! We've already started the meeting without you!

She didn't say a word. Instead, she just dropped a piece of paper on the table.

Vox: Huh? What's this?

Sarth: It appears to be a map of the Halcyon Fold.

Vox: A map?

 _C-Could it be?_

Taka: What the...? Where did you find this?

Sarth: It doesn't matter where I found it.

Taka: It DOES matter! You're really freaking us out right now!

Kestrel: Forget about that. What's it mean?

Sarth: Just look at it. The building we're in right now is laid out in precisely the same way as the Halcyon Fold.

Vox: So what you're saying is... this really is the Halcyon Fold?

Sarth: At least in terms of its construction. But it looks like it has had a number of strange... renovations. I don't know the details yet. All I found was details about the first floor.

Joule: So then... this really is the Halcyon Fold! We didn't get kidnapped and taken to some other place!

Adagio: So stupid it's not even possible. *This* is where the army that's supposed to take down the Storm Queen is supposed to assemble?

Skye: But if this is really the Halcyon Fold, where are all the other soldiers? I mean, it's not like we're the first crew of recruits to join the army...

Ringo: Hey, come on, guys. Let's just forget about this for now.

Vox: But aren't you worried? Things don't look very good...

Ringo: Worried? What is there to be worried about? I mean, this was all planned out, right? It's just a hazing ritual or something, right? So we just relax and everything'll work itself out!

Taka: Ahahaha... you can't be serious.

Lyra: Huh? Why are you laughing?

Taka: Because it seems splitting up was a good idea after all.

Lyra: What? But haven't you been listening? We *didn't* find a way out, we *didn't* find out who's behind this- we still have no idea what's going on!

Taka: Huh? Well, that's not exactly what I meant... It's just... It's completely obvious that we're trapped in some secret location with no way out!

None of us had any response to that. We didn't want to accept that reality- but it was staring us right in the face.

Skye: You didn't have to go and say that! I was trying not to think about it!

Lyra: No way out... We're trapped here. What are we supposed to do?

Adagio: It's very simple. If you want to leave, you just have to kill-

Kestrel: Don't even joke about that!

Celeste: Everyone just calm down, please! We need to stop and think about what to do from here.

Vox: There's got to be *something* we can do...

Taka: All we can do is adapt. Adapt to living our lives here from now on.

Joule: Living here?! Are you saying we should just accept it?!

Adagio: A lack of adaptability... is a lack of survivability. Survival is not based on who is the strongest or the smartest. It comes down to who can adapt. Actually, I wanted to share an idea with you all. We all understand that we're trapped here, which means we will be spending the night. However... You all remember the rule about nighttime, right?

[ ** _Rule 2- "Nighttime" is from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Some areas are off limits at night, so please be careful. Furthermore, water is turned off during nighttime._**

 ** _Rule 3- Purposefully sleeping anywhere other than the barracks will be seen as sleeping on duty and be punished accordingly. Amendment: Koshka is exempt to this rule._** ]

 _And, of course, Koshka gets to sleep wherever she wants._

Adagio: So regarding this "nighttime," I'd like to impose a rule of my own. Going out at night should be prohibited altogether. Though the rules don't say anything about it, I would like to make this official. This way, nobody needs to worry whether someone will come and kill them in their sleep. However, unlike the rules, I can't force anyone to comply. We'd all have to agree to follow this rule.

Kestrel: Y-Yeah. But, I think we can all agree to that.

SAW: On behalf of all the men here, I agree to comply!

Ringo: H-Hey, you can't just speak for us!

Adagio: Good. We're all in agreement. Then if you would excuse me...

Joule: Huh? Wait, where are you going?

Adagio: It is almost nighttime. I would like to take a shower before that time occurs. So... bye.

With a few flaps of his bright blue wings, Adagio was out of the mess hall.

Blackfeather: So I guess we'll be spending the night from now on...

Lance: Adaptability...

Kestrel: So, Mr. Soldier, what next? One person already left.

SAW: Well... how about we call an end to today's meeting? Like he said, it's almost nighttime anyway. We can meet again first thing tomorrow morning!

Joule: Huh? We really have to stay the night here?!

Kestrel: We don't have a choice. It's not like we can roam around for long without sleep.

Ringo: Which means we're done for the day!

Skye: So what're we supposed to do tomorrow?

Lance: All we can do is split up and check again.

Skye: Yeah, okay. Let's do that...!

Kestrel: Then we're done for today? Good, I'm exhausted...

Taking heavy footsteps, everyone stumbled off to their barracks.

Celeste: Voxie, are you ready to call it a day?

Vox: Yeah, let's go.

I returned to my room.

 _...Is this really where I'll be staying for the foreseeable future? Oh, that's right. I should check the bathroom one more time before I go to bed. Only the girls' bathrooms should lock, right? Alright, let's open it up..._

*Rattle rattle*

Vox: It's no use. It really is locked.

Corpus: **Bzzt! Wrong! Not locked!**

Vox: Holy crap!

Corpus: **Jeez, what an overreaction. It's like you saw a ghost or something! Like... some kind of... robot ram... ghost.**

Vox: Wh-What are you doing here?

Corpus: **Vox, this is hilariously bad! Your bathroom isn't locked, it just has** **a problem with the doorframe!**

Vox: Huh? So it isn't locked? The door just... doesn't fit?

Corpus: **Wasn't there a notice? What, can't read? The boys' bathrooms don't have locks! I mean, a lock on a boy's bathroom is kinda pointless, don't you think? Anyway, there's a little trick to opening this particular ill-fitting door, which is what I'm here to teach you! Got it? Okay, so you just turn the doorknob, then lift up while you pull! Go ahead, give it a try!**

 _Turn the knob and lift the door up while I pull..._

When I did that, the door opened without a problem.

Corpus: **Kahaha! See? It opened right up! Isn't that crazy, though? Your door's the only one that doesn't fit quite right! You were listed as the Ultimate Luck, but it looks like you're not lucky at all! Anyway, I suddenly have no reason to be here anymore. See ya!**

Vox: H-Hey! Wait!

 _...Dammit._

*Ping pang, ting tang*

{ **Mm, ahem, this is an announcement. It is now 10 p.m. That makes it officially nighttime. Soon, the doors to the mess hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Alrighty then! Sweet dreams, everyone!** }

 _Looks like it's nighttime. We all promised we wouldn't leave our rooms now. All I can do now is try and get some sleep._

While still mumbling to myself, I collapsed into bed. My eyes closed almost immediately. It's not that I was ready for bed, exactly. I was just utterly exhausted. Soon enough, I was asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **Corpus Theater** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corpus: **In any normal army, Marshal Corpus would be a kind officer. But when I think about what's coming up... I'm just so full of pride and joy. Our ceremony earlier today was absolutely splendid. Thank you all very much. Remember that you're all recruits of the Halcyon Fold, and strive to refine your ideals! I swear to you, I will send you all off into a new tomorrow!**


End file.
